Raker for salt-grainers.



No. 795,324. PATEN'TED JULY 25, 1905.

G. B. WILLGOX.

BAKER POR SALT GRAINERS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY a, 1905.

WITNEssEs: mvENToR UNITED sTATs GEORGE B. l/VILLCOX, OF SAGINAW,MICHIGAN.

BAKER FOR SALT-GRAINERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1905.

Application filed May 8, 1905. Serial No. 259,389.

To all whom, t m//ty/ concern:

Be it known that I, GEoRcE B. WrLLcox, a citizen of the United States,residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rakers for Grainersand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

This invention is an improvement in means for actuating automaticsalt-rakers for grainers, and pertains more particularly to means forproducing back-and-forth movey ment in reciprocating salt-rakers.

The improvement is especially adapted for driving rakers of the type nowcommonly known as the submerged rigid back bone construction, meaningthe general type of raker employing an inflexible member located withinthe grainer and extending in proximity to the grainer-bottom, adapted toback-and-forth reciprocating movement, and carrying scraping devicesthat operate along the grainer-bottom to push the salt toward the end ofthe grainer on the forward stroke and feather on the back stroke, sothat the salt is intermittently moved along the bottom of the grainerand delivered up the incline at its front end with a step-by-stepmovement. In rakers of this class, wherein all the scraping devices arelocated close down to the grainer bottom beneath the grainer-pipes andsubmerged in brine, it is important that the driving force `to move theraker back and forth be applied as nearly as possible in the samehorizontal plane with the scraping-blades. Vhen the driving force isthus applied, all vertical components of the driving force areeliminated. Consequently the wear on the rake-supporting guides isreduced to the minimum. Not only is wear reduced, but the liability ofbinding and breakage is avoided and minimum power is required to operatethe machine.

It has been my practice heretofore to apply the driving force in thehorizontal plane of the scraping devices, but by means essentiallydifferent from the means herein shown. I 'formerly provided ahorizontally-placed longitudinal track or guide over `the middle of thegrainer and on that guide mounted a trolley or cross-head actuated backand forth by a hydraulic cylinder or other suitable means. Thecross-head had a downwardlyextending arm, the lower forked end of whichengaged by side contact a bar or brace located in the horizontal planeof the scraping devices. The brace was rigidly fixed to the raker andreceived horizontal driving force from its side contact with the arm,but was subjected to no vertical thrust.

The cross-head arrangement above described operates well in practice,but being located above the grainer it is while operating enveloped bycorrosive vapors, thick fog, and gases rising from the grainer. Sincethe power is applied to the cross-head at its upper part and deliveredat the lower end of its arm, bending strains are produced in thecrosshead and in the track on which the crosshead runs. Then locatedover the grainer, and therefore di'Hicult of access, the drivingmechanism generally receives but indifferent attention and frequentlyhas to be repaired. The guide or cross-head track is usually supportedon heavy timbers extending across the grainer, and these timbers,together with the cross-head and its operating mechanism, obstruct to aconsiderable extent the saltmaker7 s inspection of the liquor surface.In my present invention I overcome all of these objections by providingdriving means whereby the actuating force is not only applied moredirectly and in the same horizontal plane as the scraping devices, butis also apl plied in such manner that the driving-motor may beconveniently located outside the grainer, easily accessible andprotected from the fog and steam.

In my improved arrangement the motive power is so applied as to exertupon the raker perfectly horizontal direct driving effort. Thisarrangement also dispenses with the cross-head, its guide or track, andall the supporting-beams above referred to, leaving the grainer areaunobstructed by any species of rake-driving mechanism. N o power is lostby reason of indirect application of the driving force, as heretofore.

My present improvement consists in the devices, combinations, andequivalents thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings and setforth in the claims.

Figure l is a top plan view, broken away in part, showing thedirect-stroke device applied to the front end of the raker. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation of the same, the section being taken on the line ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section of the grainer on the line y y of Fig. 2.

As is clearly shown in the dravvings, the device consists in ahorizontal driving-rod 1, having back-andforthsliding movement in asuitable stuffing-box 2, located in the end 3 of the grainer, the end ofthe rod Within the grainer being connected to the end of the raker 4 byany suitable means and the end of the rod outside the grainer beingconnected to any suitable motor, as the hydraulic cylinder 5, capable ofimparting back-andforth reciprocating movement to the rod 1 and thenceto the raker.

For the purpose of illustration I have shown a single rod l passingthrough the end of the grainer but, if desired, more than one such rodmay be used, said rods being connected by any suitable means to thesource of power.

In the particular construction which I have chosen for illustration, 4ais a trussed frame rigidly fixed to the raker, and 1a is a longitudinalbar or bars rigidly fixed to the trussed frame and lying substantiallyin the horizontal plane of the scraping-blades 4b and of the backbonemembers 4C, adapted to exert as nearly as possible purely directhorizontal longitudinal thrust opon the raker, thereby eliminatingvertical Weareproducing thrust upon the raker-supporting guides 4d andaccomplishing this result Without the aid of an intermediate crossheador guide-track, as in the previous construction above referred to. Anyequivalent arrangement of truss-frame members or any system ofconnections between the raker 4 and the rod l may be employed Withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

While I have shownV and described my improved driving apparatus a pliedto the discharge or incline end of a ra rer, it may be applied to therear end, if desired.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent7 isas follows:

l. The combination with a grainer; of a raker located Within the grainerin proximity to the grainer-bottom and adapted to backandeforth.movement; a stuffing-box in the end of the grainer a rod slidablymounted in the stufiing-box and having its inner end eon nected to theraker, together With actuating means attached to the outer end of saidrod.

2. The combination with a grainer; of a raker located Within the grainerin proximity to the grainer-bottom and adapted to backand-forthreciprocating movement; a stuffing-box in the end of the grainer andlocated substantially in the horizontal plane of the raker; a rodslidably mounted in said stuffing-box and havin its inner end connectedto theraker; toget 1er with actuating means attached to the outer end ofsaid rod.

3. The combination with a gra-incr; of a raker located Within thegrainer in proximity to the grainer-bottom and adapted to backand-forthreciprocating movement; a trussed frame secured to said raker in thehorizontal plane thereof; a stuffing-box in the end of the grainer andloca-ted in the horizontal plane of the raker; a rod slidably mounted insaid stuing-box and having its inner end connected to said frame,together With actuating means attached` tothe outer end of said rodi.

4. The combination of a grainer having a raker located Within and inproximity to the rainer-bottom and adapted to back-ande forthreciprocatin movement; of rake-operating mechanism ocated outside thegrainer in the horizontal plane of the raker,` and means connecting saidmotor and raker whereby the motor is adapted to exert horizontal.reciprocating effort aga-inst said` raker in the horizontal planethereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

K GEORGE B. WILLCOX.

Witnesses H. F. TIWKG,

A. A. EiisTnRLY.

